“And what do I need to know?” said Mary Ann.

“Not a lot. The basics of Hi/Lo counting, just to understand what I’ll be doing from the platform,” said Erica. “But mostly you’ll be acting.”

“To tell them when to bet more?” said Mary Ann.

“To distract them when the deck is cold,” said Gabrielle. “And to get them excited when it’s hot. The reason card counters get caught is they need to be looking at the cards and change their bets a lot, and supervisors spot them. But the guys we’re helping won’t even be looking at the table. They’ll be drunk, chatting up their waitress, staring at Erica’s a—tushy on the platform.” She glanced at her toddler, who seemed concentrated on his cooking. “Pit boss will be happy to see them bet big.”

“What happens if they get caught?” said Mary Ann.

“Nothing. They get asked to not play blackjack anymore,” said Gabrielle.

“And what happens if we get caught?” said Mary Ann.

Gabrielle looked down at the cards.

“We go to jail,” said Erica, with a matter-of-factness Mary Ann found concerning, but kind of inspiring.